Negotiating and Staying Connected with Women in Ag

October272017

Last week I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with sixteen women from Coshocton and nearby counties at our “Ladies on the Land” program. This was designed for women landowners and women tenants and covered leasing and negotiating.

One portion of the workshop included “Peggy and Emily’s Top Ten Negotiating Tips for Farmland Leasing.” I developed this list with my colleague Peggy Hall, OSU Extension Ag Law Field Specialist, based on her experiences as an attorney and other Extension resources. Here is a peek into our top ten list:

Schedule a yearly meeting to discuss the leasing relationship and maintain communication throughout the year.

Identify and share your objectives for the land – investment and otherwise.

Know your tenant’s financial position and recognize the tenant’s need for profitability.

Consider the services your tenant can provide as points of negotiation.

Use questioning (instead of demanding) to your advantage.

Leave room for negotiation.

Always have the goal of finding win/win solutions to any challenges.

Put points of agreement in writing as soon as you reach them.

There are two more opportunities approaching quickly for Women in Agriculture. Be sure to register soon for the East Ohio Women in Agriculture dinner at Raven’s Glenn Winery on November 14 from 6:00-8:30 pm. This is an evening especially for networking with women in our area who are involved in agriculture as producers and/or supporters. The program for the evening is “Take Control: clear the clutter, manage your time, and prioritize your tasks.” You can get more details and register at Women in Ag Dinner. Cost for the evening is $25 and registration deadline is November 8.

The second upcoming program is an Annie’s Project Retreat December 1-3 at Salt Fork State Park Lodge and Conference Center in east central Ohio. Annie’s Project provides education and a support network to enhance business skills of women involved in all aspects of agriculture.

We’ve held four different classes of Annie’s Project here in Coshocton County and have over 70 women who are graduates of this program- more than any other county in Ohio. This is a tremendous way to connect with other women and learn about the local resources available to assist with managing all the risks associated with the agricultural life.

The participant fee is $105 per person, which includes all materials and meals. Lodging is $99 per room per night with up to four people per room. Registration deadline is November 17 and details can be found at Annie’s Project East. Sponsors of the program include Farm Credit and Nationwide.

Today I’ll leave you with this quote from Luke Roberts, “Conflict is good in a negotiation process… it’s the clash of two ideas, which then, all being well, produces a third idea.”

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